Ira's surgeon's words were these tonight: "I told you I would let you know when I'm worried: I'm worried.
You already know that Ira has had difficulty being weaned from the ventilator. And you know that they began treating Ira with nitric oxide hoping that it would help the flow of blood. They put him on a second med last night called milrinone hoping that it too would help the flow of blood and loosen things up a bit. But all of this resulted in no change in Ira. His pulmonary hypertension is our main worry. Ira's heart is working extra hard to force the flow of blood and if it continues to work this hard, Ira's heart will fail. Tonight they introduced yet another drug via IV called prostacyclin. Normally prostacyclin is used in adults and at times in infants but hardly ever in CDH babies. Ira's surgeon, Dr. Stolar, said they have gone to this measure only four or five times with CDH babies. The outcome? One baby went on to do well.
You already know that Ira has had difficulty being weaned from the ventilator. And you know that they began treating Ira with nitric oxide hoping that it would help the flow of blood. They put him on a second med last night called milrinone hoping that it too would help the flow of blood and loosen things up a bit. But all of this resulted in no change in Ira. His pulmonary hypertension is our main worry. Ira's heart is working extra hard to force the flow of blood and if it continues to work this hard, Ira's heart will fail. Tonight they introduced yet another drug via IV called prostacyclin. Normally prostacyclin is used in adults and at times in infants but hardly ever in CDH babies. Ira's surgeon, Dr. Stolar, said they have gone to this measure only four or five times with CDH babies. The outcome? One baby went on to do well.
posted by jch at
9:56 PM
30 Comments:
We continue to pray boldly for a miracle for little Ira. Lord, please heal Ira. Jen Eller
Please, Lord, PLEASE!
K
Joe and Laura,
There is no way to prepare for what you are experiencing with Ira. God knows the desires of your hearts and He wants His very best for you and Ira. May the work of God continue to be displayed in your life and in Ira's. This child has changed the hearts of so many in just a few short days. People you know, and people you don't. People like us who because someone else loved you enough to share your story, we share it too and join in a communtity of prayer for Ira. We offer to the Lord most high a desperate cry for help and pray that He will heal this child. May He do more than you could ask or imagine. On our knees for you.
Kevin and Becky Clinton
San Antonio
Father, you are the Great Physician. Please heal Ira. Work your miracles here, Lord. Strenghten him. We believe.
No words tonight. Just heart wrenching prayers to our Father for Ira to overcome these severe physical problems and strength for the family to hold up during these extremely difficult times.
In His Name we Pray,
John and Saundra
How wonderful that the doctors will have one more baby to add to that list! Sweet, precious baby Ira, we are praying with everything we've got, and then some. We're not giving up!
Fortress Ladies' Bible Study: Cara, Kristi, Gretchen, Melissa, Nikki and Stacy
Sending up prayers for your family right now, my friends.
Father God, we ask You to reach down and touch baby Ira and to heal him. Strengthen his heart, strengthen his lungs, allow him to make progress doctors can't explain. Lord we boldly pray and we dream big. Heal Ira in ways more profound than the doctors can imagine tonight. This baby is a fighter and he longs to live in this world and proclaim for years to come the miracle of his birth, the power of prayer, and the testimony that is his life. Thank you for blessing this world with such a precious boy; thank you for the healing I believe You will provide. In Your Son's name.
Love, Hilary
Psalm 22:9 "Yet you brought (Ira) out of the womb...From birth (Ira) was cast upon you, from his mother's womb you have been (his) God. Do not be far from (Ira); for trouble is near..."
We fall on our knees in prayer for baby Ira tonight. We are with you in Spirit.
Laura and Joe we continue to pray for your family. What a joy it was to see Ira's picture with his beautiful eyes wide open. I was really touched by the picture.We love you and your are in our prayers. Keep the Faith!
Love you
Aaron Carrie(Davis) and Austin Hollingsworth
Sovereign God... Please bring your healing! Show your face...
'be small enough to hear us now...'
We continue to pray as believers.....believers in God's miracles.....in His time not ours. The wait is grueling....I recall weeks in the hospital with our Caroline battling infection after a surgery....and each Tuesday watching her go back into the OR to drain infection and each week a change in medication to fight the infection. May God work in Ira's life as He did in Caroline's! Hang on!
Elaine Schwenker
Ira's angels are surrounding him this evening. I am thankful for them. I am thankful that God Almighty loves Ira so much, & that His healing hand will continue to be with this precious child of His. We've asked a lot of little Ira, and he has always fought his way through every battle. God & His angels are with him. He'll do it again! Keep the faith.
Continuously praying for all of you, and for all the skillful doctors, wonderful friends, & family who want so desperately for this healing. It's hard to be patient - but in His time it will come. Know that my love & prayers are with you.
Aunt Weedon
Joe and Laura,
We have the same picture of us standing next to our tiny son in an isolette. He is covered in tubes and wraps and an oxygen tube and we are straining to smile - you can almost see us asking, "Do you smile in such a picture?" Our son's 2 holes in his heart have gone on to close on their own but we certainly pray with understanding as you walk through these unthinkably draining days and nights. Praise the Lord for His comfort and strength that sustains us when we are pushed so far into darkness that sometimes it feels we'll never see the light again. Laura, I am praying for you specifically as I know the exhausting feat of recovering from pregnancy while also having to deal with watching your baby fight for life. As a couple who has lost one baby at birth and seen a second go on to recover and bring us the greatest joy, we lovingingly support you with our prayers. Ps. 20 comforted me during the birth/death of our first child - "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm."
Please read the whole Psalm!
We continue to stand with you. Blessings.
Don't even know what to say...just wish we could be there to hug your necks...we are still pleading with God on Ira's behalf...
We're praying, and we believe that God is giving Ira the healing strength to keep fighting.
Regina and Tom
Joe and Laura,
You are constantly in our thoughts and prayers.
Love,
Jim and Nicki Strickland and family
Thank you, Father, for hearing the prayers that are so hard to put into words right now. Please use your healing power for a miracle that will astound Ira's medical staff and testify to Your power and love to everyone who comes in contact with Ira and his family.
Rhonda
Rob prayed for your family Sunday morning from the pulpit before his sermon. Now our whole church (Forsythe Ave in Monroe, LA) is involved in lifting Ira up. We continue to put our hope in Him, the healer and great physician. In Christ, Rob & Lisa Callicott
Joe and Laura-
We got back from Texas last night and I wanted to let you know that the whole state is praying for you. Everywhere we went and every person that we talked to asked us how your family was and told us that they were praying for all of you, we continue to do. Peace to you....Casey.
I'm coming to realize that the NICU is a strange contradiction, a bizarre paradox. On the one hand I wonder why God would ever such a place to exist? Why can't all babies be born healthy so that they all can have an equal chance to screw up later in life? Why does someone so small and weak have to suffer so much?
But then on the other hand I praise God for the NICU. I praise God that Ira was born at time when he can receive treatments and surgeries that just ten years ago were thought to be impossible. Ten years ago Ira would have absolutely no chance. But thanks to the amazing doctors of the NICU he still fighting. It sounds strange to say, but the NICU is the best place for Ira to be right now.
So God please tell me why the NICU has to exist, but I thank you for providing the NICU to give babies like Ira the strength that only you can provide.
Though my faith is troubled, I still know that without you God, none of us have a chance to survive.
Father please give Ira strength, please heal him, please work in this situation in a way where that can only be explained by your divine initiative and power, please hear the prayers of your saints, please surround Joe Laura and Sophia with your Spirit, please Lord, please
cody b
We are part of Texas that is praying for all of you. We love you and continue to pray. Ed and Anna Marie Connally
Joe and Laura,
I feel compelled to write to you as a friend who has some experience with devastating illnesses but not pretending to understand everything you're going through right now. My mom adopted this theory of thinking when Scotty was sick and it helped all of us to remember how we could see things in a different light. She always said that sometimes when tragic things are happening, the real miracle is not in what God's decision is, but how we choose to handle and accept His decision. I pray you not only ask for physical healing for Ira but also for your acceptance and peace about the outcome. Stay strong and feel the love from all of us.
We are so sorry. We love you. We are still praying for this miracle.
Love,
David, Karise, Keely & Kinlie
Joe Clyde and Laura
We are praying and thinking of you every minute of every day. God Bless and be with you during this time.
May God Bless Ira (we love that baby already).
Julia, Deidre and Vicki Charo
Lord on High,
We come together to ask of you this one thing today-let Ira's heart function and fluid levels balance in such a way as to allow him a major turn in the positive directions that are needed to become the foundation from which he will grow and prosper and "do well" in his Daddy's words.
We love and trust you.
We pray together in Jesus' name,
Amen.
TS
Praying for a miracle...God please guide Ira through this time and hold onto Joe, Laura and Sophie with all your might so that they can continue being strong through this difficult time.
Your strength amazes me, you are both an inspiration. I agree with the earlier comment, and will also pray for acceptance and peace with whatever the outcome may be. God be with you.
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